PACKAGE MARKING

Alan Beck's marking criteria for the radio package

If for radio broadcasting, you will be marked on:
Your understanding of the target audience for your piece
Broadcasting slot
Broadcasting genre
Negotiating a contract with a professional radio station
Getting a clear brief from the station

You have to specify your protocol (brief) for each package.

 

EACH ELEMENT OF THE PACKAGE IS MARKED IN THE FOLLOWING WAY …………

 

Overall style:
Appropriateness to subject
Is this entertaining and informative? How have you balanced these two?
Have you used an effective mix and balance of commentary, wildtrack, music and interview clips?
Have you worked to an appropriate package protocol (brief) and is there a clear and creative style?
Have you grabbed the listener from the top?
Have you told the listener the 'story' from the top - let the listener know what is the nub of the package at the top? That's the 'nubby nub' of the package.
Have you made sufficient use of the particular package protocol you are using? Have you specified this protocol? Have you then made use of this in your written critique?
If you are using a 'personality' commentator, is this entertaining and informative?
What would make your package stand out from others you have heard broadcast and researched?
Have you displayed an overall structure and rhythm for the package?
NOTE 1: You are not allowed to make packages in a vacuum - they have to follow a protocol that you research, and that you state and explain in your critique.
NOTE 2: You have to conform to B.B.C. Editorial Guidelines (see the BBC site).

 

Evidence of interviewing ability:
Have you recorded a range of interviewees - to show differing and contrasting opinions and an overview of the subject?
Have you recorded from five (more or less) - compare yourself with the B.B.C. R4 protocol?
Have you got interesting interviewees?
Are your audio clips of a broadcastable standard?
Do your interviewees speak clearly enough for broadcast?
Is your choice of interviewees diverse enough - appropriate issues of gender and ethnic origin (see B.B.C. on diversity)?
Is your editing of the audio interviewee clips suitable for broadcast - technically and in style?
Have you shown your abilities as researcher?

Scripting:
Do you tell the 'story' clearly, entertainingly and informatively?
Do you pitch your script to the intended audience?
What would make your script stand out from other packages you have heard broadcast?
Should this package be through the 'point of view' of one person?
Have you shown your abilities as researcher?

Voicing of commentary:
Have you chosen the best person to voice this? Is this a voice that grabs the listener and they want to listen to? Does the listener want to hear more from this voice? Does this voice have appropriate rhythm and is this voice clearly articulate? Have you avoided any voice blemishes - such as speech impediments, inarticulacy, the 'w' - poor ability to voice the 'r', poor pronunciation of 's', speaker having a cold at the time of recording, poor rhythms, poor pitch patterning?
Is the commentary entertaining and informative?
Does the commentary suit the style of the package?
Does the commentary grab the listener from the start?
If you make more than one package, should all the packages be voiced by the one voice? If you do this, you will have to make a case for this.
If you are using a 'personality' commentator, is this entertaining and informative?

Music:
Have you chosen appropriate music clips to entertain and inform?
Have you chosen enough music clips? Too many?
Is your music choice wide enough? Appropriate enough?
Have you chosen the cliché or not - as the cliché 'Bicycle Song' because you mention bicycles - instead of researching something more interesting?

Technical ability:
Is the editing and mixing and balancing of a sufficiently high standard?
Have you avoided rough edits, rough fades? Have you displayed an overall structure and rhythm for the package?
Have you shown appropriate style in the parts and overall?
What would make your technical ability stand out from other packages you have heard broadcast?

Evidence of you as producer:
Have you planned well ? - your timetable, accessing interviewees, your research, your post-production time (mixing and balancing), your presentation of the finished work as required, your critique.

MORE:

Pieces directly intended for broadcast (including negotiations with a professional radio station), and according to current broadcasting protocols

You must research and understand the protocols of current broadcasting.

You must specify which station style and which audience is the target.

You must negotiate with a radio station and attempt to get this broadcast.

You must supply the drop in cue for the package.

The station and broadcasting slot protocol (house style) will determine the features of the piece, e.g., use of music, self-contained package or not.

Negotiations and researching the broadcasting protocols come at the planning stage of this piece.

You have to supply evidence of your negotiations with a radio station.

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